Review - England v Wales

Dubbed the match of the round, and a potential decider for the 2016 instalment of the RBS 6 Nations, the lead up was brimming with excitement. Endless references were made to the outcome of the previous fixture between these sides during the World Cup, however so much has changed since that clash less than six months ago. England appear rejuvenated under the tutelage of Eddie Jones, and appear to bear no scars from that painful campaign; perhaps a credit to the post-mortem performed by the RFU. Wales have been solid rather than impressive, but certainly possess the wherewithal to overcome hosts.

The rendition of God Save The Queen was filled with a new-found belief from the Twickenham faithful, and the charges on the ground were equal to the task. From the moment George Ford kicked us under way, England set about building a lead. The approach was somewhat mechanical, though far from boring. The confidence Eddie Jones has instilled in his squad was clearly to see and Jones’ demeanour could have been mistaken for smugness as his side led by 16-0 at half time despite bungling two clear try scoring opportunities. They picked straight back up where they’d left off in the second half, primarily through the boot of Farrell. The English backs found space when it was offered, but the effort was underlined by an impressively cohesive performance from the forward pack.

For the Welsh, it was a case of what could have been as they stuttered for the majority of the match before clicking into gear for the final ten minutes. Following a fortuitous charge down try to Biggar, Wales trailed 25-7 after 70 minutes, and the task seemed too great despite Dan Cole being sin binned for repeated infringements. No-one told the Men In Red that the fat lady was warming her voice, and they proceeded to run in two quick tries before the clock ran down. Both the final scoreline, 25-21 to England, and the tries scored, 3-1 to Wales, flatter the Welsh. In reality, they failed to trouble the English until their fate had already been sealed.

For me, there were a few who ultimately proved the difference. Starting with the blatantly obvious, Maro Itoje was fantastic and Man of the Match. To be playing to this standard so early in his international career is impressive, and a huge concern for his opposition. He is a complete package, winning turnovers, crunching defence and powerful ball carrying. Special mention to his partner in crime, George Kruis, who won a superb turnover late in the game and is forming a serious pairing with Itoje. Next, Owen Farrell. Whilst the backs had limited impact in this match, Farrell was pinpoint with his kicking and his six penalties took the game away from Wales. After the brief cameo by Tuilagi late in the match, I suspect it may not be long until we see Farrell starting in jersey 10. Lastly, the English back row. By his standards, it was a quiet shift from the rampaging Billy Vunipola, but James Haskill and Chris Robshaw must be commended for matching up to the star-studded Welsh back row. One might suspect cousins Faletau and Vuniploa had agreed a truce as both the dynamic ball carriers were relatively quiet.

Ultimately, England are well deserved winners of the Triple Crown and continue their quest for the 2016 Grand Slam, needing only to defeat the unpredictable French. It’s been a dream start for Eddie Jones, and it seems now that the growing optimism surrounded his squad is justified. Wales will be back to the drawing board after being comprehensively outplayed, and Welsh fans will undoubtedly wonder whether they need a refresh along the same lines that the English has recently undergone. Gatland has been a revelation, but sometimes a change is as good as a holiday…

Written by Chris Lukins for The Rugby Pod – www.therugbypod.com